Everybody’s wearing standout coats

If Copenhagen Fashion Week taught us one thing this season, it’s that plunging temperatures are no excuse for letting your sartorial standards slip. As buyers, editors and influencers rushed between shows, we couldn’t help but notice the number of covetable coats on display, and with a frosty New York next in the fashion week line-up, you can be sure there’s more where that came from.

Unsurprisingly, it was the homegrown fashion insiders – accustomed to tough Scandinavian winters – who really excelled at cold-weather dressing. Take fashion polymath Pernille Teisbaek, who complemented an all-black ensemble with a gargantuan shearling piece, or Norwegian stylist Tine Andrea, whose leather-trimmed teddy-bear coat inspired serious envy throughout the PORTER office. However, texture isn’t the only way to master this look: fashion consultant Deborah Reyner Sebag and stylist Sylvie Mus took a more architectural approach, in the form of oversized and asymmetric styles. Both women finished their faultless looks with turtleneck sweaters and this season’s must-have slouchy boots, proving that, when it comes to getting the better of inclement weather, artful layering is the way to go.

Ultimately, a beautifully crafted coat is something you will wear, and cherish, forever. Meaning this is one piece worth investing in. Fans of directional fashion will love Balenciaga’s asymmetric coat: cast in bright-crimson wool, it’s unparalleled in terms of cut and color. If it’s effortless elegance you’re after, Valentino’s pleated trench or Gabriela Hearst’s whip-stitched styles strike the perfect balance between classic and contemporary, while traditionalists will no doubt be enamored by Gucci’s heritage prints.

Whatever design you’re drawn to, if the elements dictate that you must cover up, make sure your coat is worth showing off.

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